Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts. Charles Dickens
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. Steve Jobs

What matters to your heart? Today isNelson Mandela International Day; it is celebrated in honor of the life and works of the late Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela who was an anti-apartheid revolutionary, lawyer, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and politician. Mandela was fondly known as “the father of the nation,” and this is a timely celebration because his life and struggles are a reminder of the resilience of the human heart, and a determination to do what truly matters for the good of all. His actions as the first black elected leader of a free South Africa, reconciling all its people to forgive the atrocities of the past and move forward as a united nation, are also a reminder that we can work together to overcome the ill-will and petty hatreds that are rampant around the globe. We must work together for the sake of our collective humanity and our nations. Even though Mandela grew up under the oppressive apartheid system, and fought to see South Africa become a free nation for all its people, he never bore any hatred for his oppressors. We live in difficult times and we need to get back to following a path of heartfelt compassion and consideration for all humanity.

What really matters to your heart? If we were to follow the example of the truth and reconciliation commission, we will recognize that finding a doorway to restorative justice gives everyone a chance to express their grievances, resolve old wounds and conflicts, and move forward in peace. This is sorely needed in the world today. With the terrible tragedies that have occurred in the last 1-2 weeks, I was moved by the Facebook post a slain officer, Montrell Jackson, wrote. In it, he shared that “… hate takes too much energy…” and implored us all to “Please don’t let hate infect your heart.” When we allow hate to take over our hearts/minds and overrule our sense of fairness and respect for life, we become part of the problem. When we negate each other by justifying acts of violence against each other, we become part of the problem and mar the path to peaceful solutions. As Martin Luther King, Jr., aptly said: Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Where do you stand on this divide?

A STORY: Letting Go Of Hate
Mind studies was a lay self-improvement movement influenced by Zen. One day a follower of Mind studies came to Zen master Shosan to ask about the essentials of Buddhism. The Zen master said, “Buddhism is not a matter of using your discursive intellect to govern your body. It is a matter of using the moment of the immediate present purely, not wasting it, without thinking about past or future. “This is why the ancients exhorted people first of all to be careful of time: this means guarding the mind strictly, sweeping away all things, whether good or bad, and detaching from the ego.
“Furthermore,” Zen master continued, “for the reformation of mind it is good to observe the principle of cause and effect. For example, even if others hate us, we should not resent them; we should criticize ourselves, thinking why people should hate us for no
reason, assuming that there must be a causal factor in us, and even that there must be other as yet unknown casual factors in us.
“Maintaining that all things are effects of causes, we should not make judgments based on subjective ideas. On the whole, things do not happen in accord with subjective ideas; they happen in accord with the laws of Nature. If you maintain awareness of this, your mind will become very clear.” Source: Zen Antics

“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” Nelson Mandela

Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye. H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart. Helen Keller
Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. Oscar Wilde
In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed. Khalil Gibran

What truly counts in your heart? What would you choose if, like Mandela, you’d spent 27 years in jail and 18 of them in isolation on Robbins Island? If all the issues of the world were not swept away, and we had to turn to what will sustain us, what will we choose? Sure, it would be easy to choose the path of hate, resentment and a spirit of revenge but, we must stop and wonder how that attitude would serve us and our progeny. What people often forget is that hate poisons the system and etches its angry marks on the psyche. We can pretend all we want but, if we carry around ancient hatreds and disregard for others, it will eventually seep through. So, every day, let’s consider what matters to our hearts and then work at fixing any residual feelings of disregard/hatred for others. Once we make a concerted effort to remember to see the humanity in all, we will see a gradual shift in our interactions and experiences with others. I know that this is easier said than done but, it is imperative for our collective survival as members of the human race. Instead of pointing fingers at each other, we must search our own hearts and act from there.

What matters to your heart? One thing is certain, legislation cannot change the human heart. we cannot pass laws to change how people think, feel, and act. Change must come from us and we will accomplish this goal when we are ready to see the humanity in each other … to walk in another person’s shoes. We live in chaotic times and with it has come many tragic events based on hate, fear, feelings of disenfranchisement and a laundry list of unresolved resentments. While any one can make an argument about why these global events are happening, we can never justify them. Violence is not the answer and each of us must take responsibility for shifting our thinking about this planet we share. If we wish to see our world become equitable, peaceful and just, we must become part of the solution. How? By being mindful of our actions and interactions with others. Our words must match our actions. Are you walking the talk on the road to global peace? What are you telling your children and loved ones behind closed doors? In these crucial matters that affect us all, peace must start with us all.

A STORY: We All Are One & Same
Word spread across the countryside about the wise Holy Man who lived in a small house atop the mountain. A man from the village decided to make the long and difficult journey to visit him. When he arrived at the house, he saw an old servant inside who greeting him at the door. “I would like to see the wise Holy Man,” he said to the servant. The servant smiled and led him inside. As they walked through the house, the man from the village looked eagerly around the house, anticipating his encounter with the Holy Man. Before he knew it, he had been led to the back door and escorted outside. He stopped and turned to the servant, “But I want to see the Holy Man!” “You already have,” said the old man. “Everyone you may meet in life, even if they appear plain and insignificant… see each of them as a wise Holy Man. If you do this, then whatever problem you brought here today will be solved.” Source: Zen Antics

The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for June and July 2016 are:

Wherever you go, go with all your heart. Confucius
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. Steve Jobs

How do we follow global matters from our heart? First decide what counts for you. What do you cherish most: Kindness, Life, Love, Laughter, Longevity…? Health, Happiness, Home …? Friends, Family, Financials …? Regardless of what we choose, our hearts can take us to places our heads might not fully consider because the heart is not restricted by logic and duplicity or desire for manipulation. Our hearts speak to us honestly and when we make the effort to contemplate our attitudes towards others and imagine ourselves in their shoes, we might reconsider. We don’t always listen to our heart but, when our life journey takes us to new places and experiences, our heart remembers, records and packs our memories away; to call on them another day. If we make even a small effort to shift the pain and anger we hold and look for peaceful answers, we will make strides in building positive relationships with others. Like Rumi’s take below on the pure heart; I believe it is what sustains our world … the compassionate, light filled heart. Our contemplative side helps the head follow the promptings of the heart which, inevitably, helps us make decisions that stop our world from falling apart. What are your thoughts?

Heart by Rumi
The deliciousness of milk and honey is the reflection of the pure heart:
from that heart the sweetness of every sweet thing is derived.
The heart is the substance, and the world the accident:
how should the heart’s shadow be the object of the heart’s desire?
Is that pure heart the heart that is enamored of riches or power,
or is submissive to this black earth and water of the body,
or to vain fancies it worships in the darkness for the sake of fame?
The heart is nothing but the Sea of Light:
is the heart the place of vision of God–and then blind?

Positive Motivation Tip: Follow matters from your heart and remember to add compassion to the mix.

Motivation Mondays is open to anyone who wishes to share a motivational quote, photo, personal challenge or a post that encourages others to start the week on an upbeat note.Basic Instructions: Each week, I will have a motivation word to help us create a response. (See listed words for the months above/below)Email address: You may email or share your post as a comment and I will add it to the round-up of related posts. email it to: contact(@)mirthandmotivation(.)comCategory tag: – Share your post using Motivation MondaysTwitter hashtag: – Use this on Twitter #MotvnMDedicated Page: There is a dedicated page for Motivation Mondays. It has the same instructions and will include other helpful tools and a link to the round-upFacebook Page:MotivationOnMondays Join our page and add your post and/or any motivational piece you think will be helpful to others.Facebook Community: We have a Facebook community forum to compliment the page. It serves as another way to share uplifting posts and thoughts. Please join in and add your voice.

Badge: – I created a fun badge using PicMonkey’s free photo editing tools. You can create your own, use WordPress’ integrated tool on your blog or you are welcome to use mine. (see dedicated page)Tag: – Motivation MondaysHashtag: – #MotvnMRelated Posts